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Deathknell: One in a Billion
Log Title: Deathknell: One in a Billion Characters: Cyclonus, Benin-Jeri, Dal Matia, Dust Devil, Elita One, Quickswitch, Seawing, Optimus Prime, Sit-Com, Slugfest, Snaptrap, Turborat Location: Silent Grill - Helex Date: July 13, 2016 TP: Deathknell TP Summary: The Autobots have their prize, the Decepticons know what's going on. And Silent Grill looms. But to rid the world of the Dead Energon Sea, Dal Matia must be either slain or apprehended. Hope upon hope that a Decepticon can save the planet from its poisoning... THE FINALE OF DEATHKNELL, Part 1. Category:2016 Category:Deathknell TP Category:Logs As logged by Cyclonus - Wednesday, July 13, 2016, 7:06 PM Silent Grill - Helex The Silent Grill is a ruined part of Helex that none dare go. It contains a tunnel network that is the rumoured home of cultists, their consorts, and things that are far, far worse. :Sirens wail in the night. Those massive pumps that Silent Grill is built about, they churn and froth as they pump a veritable sea of poison into Cybertron. Dead Energon, or stale energon if you prefer its proper name, is a remnant of its former self. Just enough power to force the pumps and valves of Cybertron to function, and not enough to make it sustainable. In short, it'd force Cybertron to burn itself out. The sea has been alluded to have been collected from all of the dead that had fallen in this six eon war...and the dead of Cybertron are claiming their toll upon the living. :The city itself has been long a pain in Helex' side, lead by a mad Unicron cultist known as Dal Matia. Somehow managing to harness Dead Energon for her own purposes, she has a long dead cityformer at her disposal. Dark spires and haunting streets, Silent Grill houses the monsters of Cybertron, drawn to its dark presence. :After a long and winding path into the deep darkness, the city is in as much motion as ever, neon green geysers of the liquid shoot up at intervals, Cascading over the city, like ill-gotten fireworks. And in the midst of the dead city, among the corpses, the silhouette of a four-armed figure slips in and out of the darkness... Deep in the shadows, Cyclonus has been busy. In anticipation of the Autobots coming to save the day, Cyclonus has been rigging the entrances and support structures leading down into Silent Grill with explosives. For someone so large, Cyclonus can be remarkably quiet when he needs to be, although even he is a little unnerved by the weird atmosphere in Silent Grill. As he works, he often looks back over his shoulder, as if he cannot shake the feeling of being watched. The choice, his choice, is reaching its ultimate conclusion, and as Optimus Prime begins the journey down to Silent Grill. His optics are alert, watching, his energon pump running a bit faster than normal as his mind races through all that has led to this point. It is not fear that drives it, rather intense focus, and preparation for whatever they may face as they attempt to bring an end to the threat of the dead energon. (INTERCEPT): Elita One radios Optimus Prime with "Have faith, Optimus. We are not yet beaten". By chance, Turborat has returned to this. Or perhaps it was intentional. He slunk through the city, trying to recall where the last way in he had taken was... when he led the Autobots here. Hoping they'd be there again as his mismatched optics flashed dimly towards the meeting place. He freezes though, at first in alarm as the sight of Optimus meets his optics, followed by a loud, smoky venting of relief "Oh good." he says simply. He found them. And he was still alive. So far, so good. Benin-Jeri and Sit-Com have travelled down with Optimus Prime deep into the warrens beneath Helex. Benin-Jeri is carrying the Energon Rejuvenation Matris carefully in both hands, having dropped Slugfest off outside Silent Grill for pickup by his evil single dad. Ben walks very, very carefully, focusing completely on what he's doing, while he plays horror movie soundtracks on his backpack 8-track to help liven the mood. Seawing has been down here for groons, mapping out the tunnels and trying to get into contact with Dal Matia herself. Seawing has tried, so far without success, to convince Dal Matia's cultists to bring him to her. He's tried intimidation, cajoling, and simply following cultists from the shadows in an attempt to follow them to their leader. Finally, now, he takes his last desperation move, and just walks openly into the heart of the dead city, his arms straight out, surrendering himself to the clan in a bold gambit to seek the cult leader's attention. Somewhere nearby is a wooden crate with holes in it postmarked Abu Dhabi. A mysterious Autobot cloaked in beast form has followed the others down to Silent Grill. He is drawn here, as surely as the monsters inhabiting this city, as monstrous as he is himself? No different, perhaps. But it doesn't matter at this time. For now, he remains hidden, feral optics on Optimus Prime, as if waiting for order. Sit-Com ooohs as the spooky music comes from Benin-Jeri. "Wonder if this'll spook the cultists, or whether they'll just like it," he says, looking over at his Junkionbro. "Did you bring the garlic wreaths and crucifixes?" :The sound of the sirens grows in its majesty, its horror, as the rooftop figure practically prances about, moving from one geyser to another, illuminated by the neon spray of sickly green energon. Carrying her dread staff in one hand, Dal Matia raises her head, pausing in her ritual. She turns her head, her rattan style hat giving way to her sickly green optics. A smile crosses the Femme's grim face. They were here. It was time. :She had him. She had exactly who she wanted here, at exactly the right time. :Her staff spins, leaving a trailing glow in its wake. Sweeping it in a large circle, she notes Seawing's presence far below. Her voice echoes, with a cackle of laughter. "Ah ah haaaaaa! Ohhh it is tyem. Tyem indeed. Ken you heer it? Komm children...children of Unikron. Forward" :She gestures towards the masses, a green energy surrounding several dozen of the corpses. A low hissing sound rumbles as they start to move, to stand. Suddenly Seawing is not alone, as the voodoo matron appears in the courtyard not too far from him. With a knowing look, she raises her staff. "Calling...the children. Deception...and dying...Silent...but screaming." :She glances at Seawing, knowingly, and no doubt judging his reaction. Snaptrap is waiting at the sewer entrance to the Silent Grill area, moving slowly towards the heart of the 'city', where his tracking indicator shows Seawing to be. He sticks to the shadows, his massive bulk somehow silent - a product of his patience and skill. Cyclonus hears the sirens below, and melts more deeply into the shadows, heading more deeply into the pits of darkness as his curiosity grows. Best to make sure the Autobots are in best position and the planet is saved before burying them all alive, right? As he passes a tiny stego outside, he makes a scary scraping sound against the walls of the tunnels, staring down at the Recordicon with crimson optics from the murky gloom. "Boo," he breathes, and then keeps moving down into the warrens. (INTERCEPT): Elita One radios Optimus Prime with "Just come back to me when this is over.". Optimus Prime looks to the others. "A valve is opening, and if it opens completely, the danger will be severe. Continue towards the objective; protect the device. I will get this valve secured." he says. "Luck with you all." (INTERCEPT): Optimus Prime radios Elita One with "I will. Nothing will keep me from you.". The hideous beast-form is as indistinguishable here as any other monster. Still, it remains cloaked sound and sight by deep shadow and its own stealth capabilities. It continues trailing the Autobots, as much keeping an eye out for their well being here for anything that might come upon them from behind. The mysterious Autobot eyes the rest of the city, unsure inside itself whether er to be unnerved or at home here. Confusion, then wrath, dominates. The assault beast's optics flare dangerously. Concern flashes in its optics next as it hears Optimus' grave warning. The mysterious Transformer continues on, cloaked by shadows, and certain the Prime can handle himself. Still, a nagging doubt, and the creature's duty is to the Autobots and the Prime... "Wait, what objective? " asks Turborat, softly. But Prime was already departing. He stared, and then looked at Benin with a lost expression "... okay. What are we doing? And h... how can I help? ' he asked in his usual hand-wringing way. His optics peer at the Matrix, and then over at the city, watching the plumes of green goo going up on occasion. He winces at the singing and sighs, shuffling from foot to foot. Benin-Jeri switches his music to the Buffy soundtrack. He grins over at Sit-Com. "I'm the thing that monsters have nightmares about. And right now, you and me are gonna show 'em why." He looks back at Turborat and wiggles the ERM a bit, but not too much, not wanting to accidentally damage or drop it. "I'm the type of person who tries to save the world," he quotes. Spotting Dal Matia's dramatic display ahead of him, he steps forward and stops. "Gozer the Gozerian... good evening," Ben says politely. "As a duly designated representative of the City, County and State of New York, I order you to cease any and all supernatural activity and return forthwith to your place of origin or to the nearest convenient parallel dimension." He turns with a mad smile to look at Turborat and Sit-Com for backup. Seawing knows a thing or two about intimidation, and is duly impressed. "It is … time… indeed. We care nothing for this world, or the fools that squabble over it. Allow us to join you, Dal Matia. We Seacons will help you ravage this planet, and take our place at your side in the new reckoning." He raises his arms, both to show they are empty of weapons, and to add to the glory of Dal Matia. "And don't be sending The Staypuft Marshmallow Man to destroy us. Or J. Edgar Hoover. I didn't choose anything. Did you choose anything?" Sit-Com says, looking over at Benin-Jeri. A tiny stego is startled by Cyclonus, but starts scampering after him! "What are going on?" Slugfest wonders, as he runs after Cyclonus as fast as his short stubby legs can carry him. The dark matron eyes Seawing suspiciously, her movements slow and calculated. Distrust resonates within her, her arms spread wide as she regards the Seacon. "Mmmmh is that so, Seekon?" She suddenly gestures out forward with her staff, up towards the entrance where the sets of intruders are coming from. "Then go. Fite mine enemies. And know...that deff..." As she speaks, several of the fallen soldiers shuffle to stand behind her, their eyes glowing in a similar vein. "deff...is not the end." She disappears in a wink of energy.... :...REAPPEARING before the Autobot troops. "OTTOBOTS.....OTTOBOTS and their ilk....ahhhhahahaaaaaa!" She hovers in midair before the team. "Komm Komm and join us....and give us...your lives!" :Horrid, radiant energy radiates out as she transforms...into a horrid totem, a fetish of the horrible Chaosbringer. "SUCH IS THE FATE OF ALL WHO ARE LIVING!" Snaptrap continues to follow the locator signal embedded within Seawing's body. He keeps an optic open for any of the more dangerous cultists as he walks slowly towards where Dal Matia is currently entertaining her guests. However, given his current pace, it will take quite some time before he reaches the center of action. (INTERCEPT): Snaptrap radios Seawing with "Have you made contact? I am currently on my way to your position.". :>> Dal Matia strikes Quickswitch with Inescapable Fate . << :>> Dal Matia misses Sit-Com with Inescapable Fate . << :>> Dal Matia strikes Benin-Jeri with Inescapable Fate . << :>> Dal Matia strikes Turborat with Inescapable Fate . << Seawing sends a radio transmission. (INTERCEPT): Seawing radios Snaptrap with "I have. She said to fight her enemies. Is this a go?". Cyclonus strides forward, making no concessions for Slugfest's poor stubby legs. "We're going to save the planet," he explains quickly, "and then we're going to bury the Autobots alive. Try to keep up," he says, meaning both physically and intellectually. As he gets close, however, he pauses, dark optics widening as he spots Dal Matia's horrid attack on the Autobots. "Wait here," he instructs the tiny stego. "Prepare to strike when the time is right," he orders with unhelpful vagueness. Turborat stares at Benin, and then to the foe. At the silent request for back up, he simply shuffles sideways until he was behind the Jedi Master. But then Dal Matia appears, and he leaps so fast, he actually leaves some parts behind where he stood. As the energy slaps across him, the poor neutral shrieks loudly, the sound echoing off walls left and right. He staggers back, almost ready to bolt, and holding the wound across his chest, rummaging inside his cabin for something with his other hand. His optics had gone pure white. Benin-Jeri looks at Sit-Com. "No," he insists, in answer to the question of whether he chose anything. He opens his mouth to issue another quote, and then Dal Matia teleports right over him and unleashes hell upon them. Ben flinches, gripping his hands tightly, which makes the plot device fly right out of his hands… and into play. "Erk! Gotta catch 'em all!" he yells, and turns to try to recover the football. Benin-Jeri dropped The Energon Rejuvenation Matris. Seawing grins broadly, and lowers his arms at last. He reaches down to the holsters at his hips, and pulls out two winged pistols. "All right!" he says, and starts striding towards the Autobots' position. "Sorry, Junkions. You're not making it out of here alive." He raises both guns, and starts firing at Ben and Sit while walking calmly toward them, ignoring the outside craziness going on above and around him. "Remember, don't cross the streams! Oops, unless we have to," Sit-Com says, as he narrowly evades an attack from the enemy whose name reminds him of firehouse dogs. He fires back at the offender with a blast from his sonic pistol. >> Sit-Com misses Dal Matia with Sonic Blast . << >> Seawing misses Sit-Com with Laser . << The tiny stego cocks his head at Cyclonus. "Save planet?" he wonders, then ohs quietly when Cyclonus finishes the sentence in a way the tiny stego can make sense of. He plants his butt on the ground and waits like Cyclonus asked him to. Dal Matia transforms back out of her dread totem, that large cap fitting onto her head. One of her four hands holds the hat tight as she teleports betwixt the Junkions, and lashes out with her staff, sending a powerful impact forward towards Benin-Jeri. She then teleport slides across to Sit-com's far side, raises her staff for another strike, then teleports again to his other side before trying to bring it down on the second Junkion's skull. "Feelthy Junkions! For this, there es no return!" :Mostly them because they were a bit more obvious than the skulking monster bot... :>> Dal Matia strikes Benin-Jeri with Staff. << :>> Dal Matia strikes Sit-Com with Staff. << Cyclonus sighs. "Yes. We cannot let those fools endanger the future of Cybertron." He points down at the MacGuffin. "Retrieve that Matris. I'll cover you. We must get it past Dal Matia and into the dead energon sea. Once that is accomplished, we will retreat to the surface and leave these Autobots to their death." He slowly draws his Oxidating Laser and starts scanning the scene below for high-priority targets. Still a bit panicked, if there's one thing Turborat was good at, it was A) Seeing things that were valuable, and B), running. So he bolts forwards, lunging for the shiney thing. Grabbing it up, he stagger/limps several steps, nearly falls down, but instead transforming as he goes, it secure (somewhat) inside his cabin, next to a dead turborat and someone's head. With a huge plume of smoke, he spins his wheels, erratically dodging this way and that as he seems to go in just a random direction. Benin-Jeri turns to look for the Energon Rejuvenation Matris that he had dropped during Dal Matia's initial attack. Spotting it on the ground, he bends to reach for it when suddenly Dal Matia appears next to him and beams him with her staff before teleporting away to attack Sit-Com. "Dirty pool!" Ben yells, and draws his Replica Original Star Trek Phaser. He tries to aim around Sit-Com, quoting, "We come in peace! (Shoot to kill! Shoot to kill!)" However, with his friend in the way, he holds his fire for now as he struggles to move into a better position. Seawing shoots at the Junkions until Dal Matia appears among them and starts kicking aft. The Seacon then stops for a moment, raising his weapons and watching til he sees Turborat transform and try to abscond with the Energon Rejuvenation Matris. "Oh, no you don't, Junkion!" Seawing yells, making false assumptions about Turborat's origins. He aims his Venom Laser at the nervous neutral and opens fire, not really caring if he accidentally hits Ben or Sit in the process. >> Seawing strikes Turborat with Laser . << Turborat dropped Turborat's Timey Wimey Ball. Hit by the terror energy, the beast whines and worries its head back and forth. So much for the element of surprise and stealth. Quickswitch feels a sudden twindge of irritation as he comes back to himself. In a blurr, he transforms into gun mode and fires upon Dal Matia! "...You /dare/ strike at me..." the assault unit's voice, low and dangerous. Quickswitch transforms into his jet-propelled laser pistol mode. Sit-Com acks as he's swatted by a Scorpion-style teleporting Dal Matia! "Get over here!" he shouts, throwing his ball and chain at the mistress of pain. >> Sit-Com strikes Dal Matia with Bash. << >> Quickswitch misses Dal Matia with Laser . << >> Quickswitch strikes Dal Matia with Laser . << Slugfest is still waiting, sitting obediently unitl Cyclonus tells him otherwise. :Having brained the two Junkions not that anyone could notice, Dal Matia teleports again, shifting between three spots simultaneously, the brim of her hat covered low over her face, her staff held in two of her other hands. The dropping of the strange energy sphere interests her, even more interesting was the neutral's panic upon grabbing it. Fortunately Seawing started lighting up the NAIL, so it was back to her business....killing. Sit-Com slams his flail into her shoulder, but as Quickswitch fires, she teleports mid-shot, reappearing a moment later, and suffers Quickswitch's second shot, which glances off her frame. She raises her staff, firing off a powerful bolt towards the living weapon, Quickswitch. "Damage done to frames, what we said in the name of the...." She follows up the first blast with a second, "Damage done to the spark, is the start of the end!" Cyclonus growls, seeing the Seawing shoot the ERM away from Turborat. "Meddling Seacons. Slugfest, retrieve the Energon Rejuvenation Matris. I'll take care of these interlopers." He raises his oxidation laser, draws a bead on Seawing, and calmly opens fire, standing still as stone as the energy of the shot burns its way across the caverns towards the sneaky mantis. >> Cyclonus strikes Seawing with Laser . << Seawing is overcome by injuries, losing consciousness. (INTERCEPT): Snaptrap radios Seawing with ">>kzzsh--ead me? Seawing, can you read me?". (INTERCEPT): Seawing radios Snaptrap with "*static*". Dust Devil frowns as Ben is being attacked. He tries to get over by his mentor, "So who booked this party?" He looks toward Dal and frowns, "I'm guessin we don't wanna hit Sit-com do we?: Turborat shrieks again as he was shot, literally knocking him back into robot mode. Two things fly out of his cabin - the MAtris, and another, strange glowing, glassy orb that rolls and bounces, before stopping next to the Matris. And then, it goes PING! As Dal Matia turns her attention on Quickswitch, Ben is finally able to line up a clear attack. Considering the severity of the situation, he quotes, "Set phasers on Kill," and twists a small knob on the side of his pistol to do just that. He strikes a dramatic pose and lines up his shot, carefully squeezing off a burst of energy at the crazy cult leader. >> Benin-Jeri misses Dal Matia with Phasers-On-Kill . << Seawing nails Turborat with his venom laser, successfully keeping the Energon Rejuvenation Matris out of play while Dal Matia whales on the collected Junkions. However, just as he's smirking and looking proud of himself, he's caught in the wash of an agonizing oxidation laser, which burns right through his light armor clear down to his endoskeleton. Seawing can barely scream before half his body is simply burned away, and the rest of him slumps near-lifelessly to the ground. PART TWO Deep within the shell of Cybertron lies a dead city, And like a tumor, Silent Grill sprawls out beneath the surface, intent on destroying its world. Sickly green energy rolls and roils beneath the surface, as monsters and the dead linger far, far too long in its toxic environments. The scene opens with a hill. Headlights are seen in the darkness as the Autobot forces roar through the depths. The assembled team, with newly rejoined Elita One, burn some rubbor as they careen through the Dead City. And yet, as they move, the roads seem to stymie them. Roads cut off suddenly, or turn away...or sometimes, the Bots just seem to be completely off course. It is as if the city itself wants everyone lost...or dead. Perhaps it will be the Decepticon menace, the airborne fliers who will pluck victory from the Autobot's hand. But would they want the Energon Rejuvenation Matris to destroy the Dead Sea...or use it to enslave the planet? A cackle of laugher splits the air, a plume of that sickly green energy appears ahead from seven different places. Tele-spamming around, Dal Matia appears finally in the fourth spot, her staff overhead. "YES...YESSS! KOME. KOME HOME, OTTOBOTS! NUN NOW KEN SAVE YOU!" NOW PLAYING: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8VGLt4nDkZQ Off from the main group, Optimus Prime struggles with the main valve, applying his phenomenal strenth to jam the mechanism, at least temporarily. The valve groans against the poison within trying to escape, but it is contained... for now. Satisfied, Prime transforms, and with engine roaring heads off to rejoin his fellow Autobots. Optimus Prime's arms fold in, as his legs collapse and fold back behind him as he takes his Semi Truck form! Quickswitch transforms into his assault beast mode. Cyclonus has found a high position looking over the others. Watching the Autobots race through the ever-changing labyrinth, Cyclonus stays in place, oxidizing laser steady as he picks off the Dal Matia-allied Seacons and then turns his attention to her more plentiful cultists. << These Autobots are fools, >> he radios down to Slugfest, << and they will let the world die with their incompetence. Get the device and deliver it to the dead energon sea. I will destroy anyone who impedes your progress. >> Quickswitch transforms into his assault beast mode, cubic body twisting into the horrific primitive mode. It *howls* defiance at Dal Matia, fury shuddering its very frame, "Get that thing out of here!" Quickswitch growls to the assembled Autobots, "I'll deal with *her*." The weaponized Autobot squares himself to leap at the dread Dal Matia, jaws slavering. Snaptrap has connected. +INIT: Snaptrap is set up for this Combat Round. The Sweep Leader hovers near Cyclonus as he makes his proclamation over the radio. His Sweeps are behind him, ready to strike. He flexes his talons almost twitchily. Horde of Sweeps has arrived. Scourge dropped Horde of Sweeps. >> Quickswitch misses Dal Matia with Pounce. << >> You evade Quickswitch's Pounce attack. << The Pink racecar is in lead position, at the moment, of the Autobot team. She veers across the wide road, dodging the weapons fire from the mad cultist, leaving a wash of green energy in her wake. <> Suddenly as the team comes down from a large overpass, the street suddenly ENDS! The sixteen lane highway just ends abruptly, leaving little room to drive. <> She transforms suddenly, and puts her shoulder up. Best First-Pink braces for the impact, and smashes into a window. The camera angle shifts to the side as she shoulder charges into, and out of the building, leaving a wake of ruined hab suites, and dust in her wake. <> Sunder has arrived. Driving erratic was one of Turborat's best things. It helps to dodge when you're already halfway through dodging! He wasnt so much 'following' Elita as it just seemed they were heading in the same direction at the same time. With a loud BANG as his engine backfires in stress, he spots a gitter amongst the dust and rubble and darts that way, transforming to grab at the thing without thinking and start to simply run - whoops, can't go that way! He skids to a halt, whimpers, and turns to head the other way, his shoulder burning from the earlier attack. The Energon Rejuvenation Matris has left. Dal Matia seems to notice Quickswitch before he moves. Her wide-brimmed rattan hat low over her face, a hand holding it in position. A low chuckle emenates from her vocoder as the great beast leaps up towards her. Suddenly her hat is raised up, and the gleaming eyes of madness are upon Quickswitch. His jaws bite upon nothing but the stale taste of Dead Energon as she teleports. With a cackle, she reveals herself sixty feet away! She teleports again and again, bringing up more clouds of that nauseous energy. Silhouetted by the backlight, she raises her staff. "ohhhhhh. You challenge me? You don't even know who you are!" She uses two of her four hands to gesture her staff towards Quickswitch, attempting to overcome his mind with some very harsh truth about his life. Cackles disappear into the night, as the Necrobot raises its head, in anticipation... "Okay!" the tiny stego radios back to Cyclonus, as he prepares to go after the device in question, rushing up to it to grab it in mouf! Benin-Jeri struggles to keep up with the others. As Dal Matia teleports away, Ben transforms into his chopper mode, and races towards her, charging up his front-mounted lasers. "You know," he quotes Jeremy Renner, "Accents can be a great tool to tell a story - but if you do it wrong, it pulls you right out of the movie." He revs his engine and pulls forward, trying to lock onto the ever-teleporting villain and preparing his lasers to fire. However, as Ben suddenly runs out of road, he yells, "Stop, in the name of love!" and transforms quickly back into the robot mode, bringing around his spiked round shield just in time as he smashes into the building in front of him, disappearing through a broken window. After a moment of silence, a voice floats back through the window claiming, "I'm OK!" Snaptrap finally arrives at where all the action is, and just in time to see Cyclonus take Seawing out. He pulls out his atom smasher rifle and fires on the purple jet thing, looking almost stoic as he does so. "Seawing is a member of my team. You will pay for his life with yours, Decepticon." He then looks to Dal Matia. "You are the cult leader." This is not a question. "I am here to protect you. If the Autobots and Decepticons want you, they will have to go through -me-." >> Snaptrap misses Cyclonus with Atom Smasher . << After Snaptrap telegraphs his attack, Cyclonus has time to duck down and get out of the way. "Going through you will not be a problem, Seacon," Cyclonus intones, and brings his weapon around to aim it down at Snaptrap. Cyclonus rises to his full height, and carefully aims his Oxidation Laser down at Snaptrap. "You should not have allied yourself with our enemies. Now you will die." He calms squeezes the trigger. >> Cyclonus misses Snaptrap with Oxidation Laser . << As the sounds of battle reach his audio receptors, Prime slams the hammer down as he pegs his speedometer to maximum. Quickly, a target is selected: Dal Matia, hovering near the overpass on which he is now traveling. Never let it be said the leader of the Autobots didn't have guts... in fact, he's got plenty of guts, as he gives his thrusters a quick burst as he comes flying off the overpass, aiming right for the witch, landing spot be damned. >> Optimus Prime rams Dal Matia! << >> You are struck by Optimus Prime for 184 damage. << The mysterious sixchanger is waylaid with a floor, a virtual torrent of shattered images and emotions flood around him--the inside of a glass tube filled with fluid--vitals being checked--scientists--telling him to transform, into what he has six modes--six--terminate the enemy, no matter what--No, it's not true!! Quickswitch moans through the horror of truth. He would rather lies from Dal Matia, than /this./ Not this.. He had transformed to robot mode and clutched his head, shrieking at the horror of what he is. As Prime rams Dal Matia, however, the stricken Sixchanger reaches out blindly with his blasters and fires upon her! Quickswitch transforms into his robot mode. >> Quickswitch misses Dal Matia with Photon Blaster . << >> You evade Quickswitch's Photon Blaster attack. << <> the rattles Sixchanger replies to Elita One. Jetfire 's burners streak across the landscape. He approaches the area and quickly kills his engines, ready to provide air support. With the trademark transformation soundbite, Jetfire transforms into Gerwalk mode. Scourge sighs as the tiny stego fails to obtain the macguffin. He swoops down to try to relieve the mech of the device, baring his talons, ready to slice and dice. >> Scourge strikes Turborat with Claw. << Turborat dropped The Energon Rejuvenation Matris. Laserfire and 18 wheeled semis are flying through the air. The city just seems to envelop everyone who dares enter it. The towers seem that much higher, the paths so much more confusing, and Elita One finds herself on a high twisting path that ends up running parallel with Turborat. <> The pink techcar shifts, and with preternatural grace, Elita One flips forwards, arms out to land on a pillared rooftop nearby. She shifts into a shooting position with a smooth practice to her, and fires at Slugfest, intent on warding him off, but then Scourge himself appears from above like a ghoul, and rakes at Turborat. Elita One scowls, and shifts her aim towards him, >> Elita One strikes Scourge with Photon-Laser . << The poor neutral shrieks loudly as he was clawed. There was a loud, explosive BANG as one of his large tires is ripped apart, releasing dirty, pressurized air. The force was enough to send the Neutral tumbling, scrambling to keep his grip on the prize. "I... I can't do this!" he finally blurt. Spotting Benin nearby, he simply CHUCKS the thing to the Junk and turns to bolt into the nearest building! >> Turborat retreats from the area, leaving itself open to Scourge, Slugfest, Snaptrap, Dal Matia, Quickswitch, Cyclonus, Benin-Jeri, Elita One, Optimus Prime, Sit-Com, and Jetfire. << She grins. She's always grinning. And how Quickswitch writhes is just....perfect. She folds her arms together, a hand to her hat again as she waits for him. And she knows his secrets. This war was al....and then a semi lands on her. There's actually a flash of light that accompanies her being smashed to the pavement, but it is too late to prevent her from being attacked. Actually....actually, isn't there something else going on that has a similar theme? Isn't there something else that's teleporting away short distances when attacked? Oh, nevermind, that can't be important. She reappears atop a nearby roof as OPTIMUS PRIME makes his entry. "Ahh Finelly De Matrix Berer...he komes home...." She raises her staff to him, ensuring Quickswitch is in her sights as well. With a flourish of energy, she sweeps her weapon forward, sending out an arc of sheer corrupting influence. "KOME....AND SUFFER FOR IT!" >> Dal Matia strikes Optimus Prime with Nightmares And Tragedy . << >> Optimus Prime temporarily loses motor functions from the attack! << And maybe just maybe, her words have a ring of truth...It was inevitable. There would be no peace on Cybertron evermore. And Optimus would die before he would accept the truth.... Images flood the Matrix-Bearer's processor. Of so many lives, so many battles, and they all end in naught, all end in death. His death. It was always the same. A sacrifice for the greatest of intentions, a noble endeavor. The saddest truth of all though, was that it never changed a thing. The war would continue, and it would swallow his efforts, and forget about him moments later. Benin-Jeri reappears on the other side of the apartment complex, crawling out of another broken window and looking around with a slightly dazed expression. He gazes up at Dal Matia, and says, "I'm so confused. I thought Miss Cleo died?" Spotting Optimus Prime's dramatic arrival, Ben plays, "The Touch" from his 8-trak backpack, and shakes his head as Optimus rams Dal Matia, quoting, "Damn. That's a cold-ass honky." Sitting in the window and using part of it as cover, he aims his replica Original Star Trek phaser up at Dal Matia as she's hit. "Fire at will!" he quotes, and then adds, "But not Will Riker. Don't fire at him." Just as he's about to fire, however, Turborat is attacked and chucks the MacGuffin to Ben. Ben drops his phaser far to the ground and leans out the window in a desperate attempt to catch the Matris. GAME: Benin-Jeri PASSES a DEXTERITY roll of Average difficulty. The Energon Rejuvenation Matris has left. Snaptrap easily evades Cyclonus' poor shot and considers his options. Cyclonus is currently firing at him, Dal Matia is being attacked by Optimus Prime and the unnamed Autobot that attacked him in the tunnels, and then there's the thing that everyone seems so intent on having being tossed to some Junkion. However, it looks as if Dal Matia has Prime and the other one under control, leaving him free to deal with one of the others. He takes careful aim at the object carried by the Junkbot with his rifle and takes the shot. He may not know what the thing -is-, per se, but he knows that both sides want it. That makes it valuable. He knows he can't get to it; he's way too slow. So he does the next best thing - he tries to destroy their hopes and dreams. >> Snaptrap strikes Benin-Jeri with Laser . << Benin-Jeri dropped The Energon Rejuvenation Matris. Now that Benin-Jeri has dropped the ball, the tiny stego pelts little feets to try to grab the bouncing shiny glowy thing in mouf! As Snaptrap shifts his attack to Benin-Jeri, Cyclonus uses the opportunity to move in. "I wasn't finished with you yet," he intones, and leaps down from the top of the tower from which he was perched, lashing out one of his massive fists at Snaptrap as he lands, using his momentum to try to smash the Seacon leader into the ground. "Move, Slugfest. Deliver the matris. I will deal with this." Cyclonus moves in to keep the Seacon leader occupied so Slugfest can save the world. The Energon Rejuvenation Matris has left. The spacefighter transforms into the robot Cyclonus. >> Cyclonus strikes Snaptrap with Smash. << The sixchanger, still shaken by the experience, eyes Dal Matia through blurry HUD-ridden optics, "DAL MATIA!!!" he roars at the top of his lungs, "You are target locked soon to die I will see to it, you will cease to exist..." Quickswitch transforms to Pistol mode, barely able to formunate sentences, so shaken is all of him. The robot twists and turns into pistol mode, aims for her and fires without a shred of mercy. The next attack on you will automatically succeed. Quickswitch transforms into his jet-propelled laser pistol mode. >> Quickswitch strikes Dal Matia with Blaster Cannon . << >> You are struck by Quickswitch's Blaster Cannon for 157 damage. << Optimus Prime lands and transforms to face Dal Matia, just as the power of her staff strikes him. His optics flash as memories of death, destruction, and hopelessness fly through his memory circuits. Overwhelming anguish strikes, and his eyes narrow as his knees tremble, until he finally falls to his knees and grabs his head. "NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" he wails, as he watches comrades die, eons pass as the war rages on, the death and destruction that has wrought Earth these many years, the cries of humans as they perished at Decepticon hands. Though within him, these images also strike a spark. It is small, then it builds... the fire rages as he focuses on the fact that if no one where to fight as he has... if no one had risen to lead the Autobots against the Decepticon tyranny... the tragedy would be greater than that which he is being forced to relive. Slowly he regains some of his willpower, and his opens open, as his hands slowly clasp together. With all of his might, he swings them at Dal Matia, shouting as loud as his audio outputs can: "NEVER!" The semi launches in the air from the front, the arms unfolding from the sides, legs folding downward from the back as the recognizable and powerful form of Autobot Commander Optimus Prime quickly takes shape before you! >> Optimus Prime strikes Dal Matia with Never!. << Elita One continues to engage Scourge, the dread Seeker, keeping the Decepticon Stalker occupied. She leaps backwards onto the same overpass she was on before, and returns fire as Scourge comes in for another pass. <> GAME: Turborat FAILS a COURAGE roll of Very High difficulty. -DING- Dal Matia gestures at Optimus, revelling in his pain, his misery. "De End Times, they come soon. All is lost, Ottobot...all is bec" And then Quickswitch shoots her with full power. It seems to be a recurring theme of hers, and while she is most agile, getting flanked is never easy to work with. The firepower Quickswitch pours onto her causes her to brace against it, even though at first it doesn't seem to touch her, the steady stream of laserfire disrupts her, and starts to scorch her armor. Who is to say if it was Optimus resisting of his own will, or if it was Quickswitch's timely disruption that kept the Matrixbearer from succumbing to despair. As Optimus struggles, the Cultist howls, "Dis does not end so easily, dat which is deed...." She starts to cackle wildly as Optimus brings up his fists in a mighty hammer punch, slamming them into Dal Matia's chest. The blow so powerful, not only does it knock her off her feet, but it actually shatters her armor on the front AND back of her chestplate. Her light flickers for a moment as she practically hovers in midair from the impact, before slamming to the ground with a crushing sense of finality. Almost instantly, the groaning sound of machinery whines as a tower activates in the distance, crackling with Dead Energon, and the fallen Dal Matia's form starts to spark, slowly starting to animate once again.... Slugfest was on the run, the problem was that Cyclonus was engaged with Snaptrap. And Slugfest, though a destructive, bitey sort, understood that if the ball holder was in combat, the Matris would dart away from them. There was nothing else to to. With the Energon Rejuvenation Matris in his mouth, Slugfest hurries along in a scamper, in the middle of the underground fight, towards the city center. And there it was ahead off in the distance, a massive well that steamed out that sickly green smoke. It was close, it was finally close! Benin-Jeri looks as surprised as anyone when he manages to actually catch the MacGuffin as it's thrown to him. "I got it! I got it!" he calls out, holding it high above his head. "I have the power!" He grins brightly, and prepares to hop down, transform, and save Cybertron. Just as he's about to do so, however, ZAP! Ben's hopes and dreams, as well as possibly those of the planet, are blasted right out of his hands, and fall down down down - right into Slugfest's mouth Ben follows soon after, plummeting down to the ground and landing on his helmet so hard his head is driven halfway into his chest and one of his arms pop off. He flumps over to the side, and has to take a moment just freeing his head and reattaching his left arm. Once he recovers, he sees poor Sluggy trying to huff it to the lake on tiny little feets. "Hold on, little doggie! I'll help!" Ben runs over and scoops Sluggy up, and then transforms, letting the tiny stego ride to victory in style on the back of a Harley Davidson Fatboy! Snaptrap is good, but even he can only focus on so many things at one time. As such, when Cyclonus comes down on him, he hits the slightly smaller Seacon like, well, a giant robot coming down from the sky with a hammer fist of DOOM. Snaptrap is driven into the ground by his assailant, grunting a bit as his armor bends in places. This should not be happening! He is Snaptrap, a force to be reckoned with! Not some punk that can be pummeled into the ground. He quickly transforms into his armored tortoise form and sends a sonic blast directly into Cyclonus' waiting face... hopefully. Snaptrap steps back and transforms into his turtle mode, forelegs slamming down. >> Snaptrap strikes Cyclonus with Sonic Blast . << Benin-Jeri arrives at the side of the lake and transforms, carefully setting down Slugfest down at the side of the lake of dead energon. "Go. Now," Ben quotes, and allows Slugfest to drop the Matris into the destructive sea. Leaving Slugfest to the task, Ben turns and draws his Replica Star Wars Han Solo Blaster, ready to protect Slugfest from Dal Matia's minions as long as it takes for the mini-stego to save the world, bracing himself as the MacGuffin falls deep into the well and disappears from sight. The hopes and prayers of Cybertron are cast into the well. A glimmering jewel, forged by a Decepticon engineer whose thoughts were towards prosperity and the future. The same engineer was killed by an Autobot assassin, whose thoughts were towards regret and pragmatism. And here now, It was a Junkion, and a Decepticon who brought this moment to pass. Truly the existence of the Energon Rejuvenation Matris was one of duality, and conflict. And now it falls gracefully into the Dead Sea. From on high, Elita One can only stand and watch as the event unfolds, surveying for any sign of change.... The world holds its breath and waits. Dal Matia appears at the plaza, near Slugfest and Benin-Jeri. "Foolish Junkeon. Dat is not dead, which can eternal lie." She raises up her staff to him, and in this motion, in this moment, she has him dead to rights, the stego too. All was indeed for naught. And then the city trembles with a mighty groan... Buildings start to shift, to collapse, and to...merge. The city starts to transform around everyone. The foundation starts to give way, and beneath it? The Dead Sea... A low rumbling tone emenates as the city shifts, and the mad cultist starts laughing. "Do you see? Do you see? You have...given us VICTORY! WE HAVE WON. FINALLY... FINALLY, CYBERTRON DIES! IT DIES IN PAIN, AND IN MESERY!" Silent Grill starts to transform, or at least a massive part of it. And it transforms.....into a cityformer! Even as parts of it start to fall into the Dead Sea, the figure animates, splashing into the glowing sea as it regains sapience for the first time in eons. And in all too fast a motion, the supports holding it upright, give way...and into the sea it goes, drowning in Dead Energon, and taking its horrid witch, Dal Matia with it... BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM! Cyclonus takes a blaster cannon to the face, and stumbles backward, unable to regain his feet as the city shifts and transforms around him. "Scourge! Slugfest! Get to safety! We are blowing the charges and burying the Autobots and cultists alike with their unholy undead titan!" Activating his anti-gravs, Cyclonus takes to the air, and fires down at Snaptrap to cover the other Decepticons' escape. >> Benin-Jeri strikes Snaptrap with Laser . << Jetfire steadies himself as he tries to find a stable platform to land. Activating his cargo bay, he yells out... Elita One sends a radio transmission. Elita One sends a radio transmission. Turborat sends a radio transmission. Elita One sends a radio transmission. Quickswitch shifts into--another mode? how many modes does this guy have anyway? He transforms, keeping an eye out for the others, in hovercraft mode as he slithers along, "Uh oh.. This doesn't look good.." the sixchanger shudders, deeply worried at the city around them. Quickswitch transforms into his assault hovercraft mode. Optimus Prime runs as fast as his feet can carry him towards the landing Jetfire, working to keep his balance as the ground shakes beneath him. GAME: Jetfire FAILS a DEXTERITY roll of Above Average difficulty. *pfshtthftt* A fissure erups violently where Jetfire's at, forcing the Autobot to float to another platform and steady himself as long as he can before the other Autobots arrive. The City is crumbling, the supports give way, and Elita One is looking for her resourceful Neutral, Turborat. She runs across the failing city's rooftops as she sends out hailing messages. <> Despite the Neutral's radio'd assurances, she seems convinced to ensure his safeguard. <> An enormous wave of dead energon rolls up to almost her feet as the cityformer sinks into the waves... And even as the city collapses, Dal Matia howls her victory. Staff raised overhead, she cackles wildly, to a positively manic degree. Buildings fall about her as the shoulder of Silent Grill, long stasis'd cityformer reforms around her. The crash of a wave of Dead Energon sweeps over her...and she is no longer there. Turborat himself was running out of tunnel. He himself started to climb to the nearest roof. But his jumping was not as good at Elitas' as he reemerged, optics bright white now as he scrambles, holding on tightly. He peers down at the greenish ooze, considering. .. he was a pipe runner after all. This would be no problem to him, right? But he looks up, tensing as he sees Elita, his features torn between more help and simply running now. But he wasnt moving at this point. <> He sounded suddenly much calmer, if still afraid. Quickswitch slithers over to the location Elita One has indicated, <> he asks, reflexively, his face pinching into something resembling distate. Damn the orders! <> he radioes back. Benin-Jeri looks down at Slugfest. "Come on. We have to get out of here!" Unless Slugfest objects, Ben bends down to scoop him up, and then races for Jetfire's location. As the city continues to shift and flail beneath him, Ben transforms into his slightly-faster motorcycle mode, and once again allows Slugfest to ride in style as Ben ramps from platform to platform, making it to Jetfire in no time flat. He sets down the stego, to join them or escape on his own. "Here. We've got a minute and forty before the end of the world. Hang on." He hurries aboard the Autobot Air Guardian. Snaptrap grumbles lightly to himself as his plan fails. He returns to robot mode and scoops the fallen Seawing up, checking the mech for signs of life. One hand then taps a panel on his forearm, sending a signal to the rest of the Seacons, and the Hatemaker. However, before the ship can arrive, the Dead Sea swallows Snaptrap and Seawing, engulfing them fully and making them disappear, like some horrific magic trick. Elita One stands atop the one of the last remaining towertops as Quickswitch roars in, She scours the area fruitlessly as even the non-cityformer part of the city starts to crumble. "THERE!" She exclaims finally, and points forwards. She leaps atop Quickswitch's frame, "Hurry to him!"